Trolley-stand.



' -No.847,170. v

'PATBNTED MAR. 12, 1907. H; BJBASTMAN. TROLLBYSTAND."

APPLICATION FILED-JAN. 5, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFio-s.

HARRY E. EASTMAN, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO LOUIS GOLD- BACKAND EDWARD W. KROUSE, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

TROLLEY-STAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratenteo. March 12, 1907.

Application filed January 5, 1906. Serial No. 294,718.

To all whont it rrttty concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY E. EASTMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia,have invented new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Stands, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to trolley-stands, and aims to provide the standwith means, as hereinafter more specifically referred to, for causingthe trolley to automatically drop when the trolley-wheel is accidentallyor otherwise removed from the conductor, thereby preventing the poundingof the conductor by the trolley-wheel or by the harp of thetrolley-pole.

Briefly described, the invention resides in providing means, ashereinafter set forth, for relaxing the tension of the trolley-retainihgspring when the trolley-wheel is accidentally or otherwise removed fromthe conductor. The relaxing of the tension of the trolley-retainingspring causes the automatic dropping of the trolley-pole, so as toprevent inury thereto or to the conductor, owing to the fact that afterthe trolley-pole has fallen it will remain in its lowered position untilthe retaining-spring is set, so that the tension of the said spring willact upon the trolley and hold the trolley-wheel in engagement with theconductor.

The invention further aims to provide a trolley-stand for the purposeset forth which shall be simple in its construction, strong, durable,efficient in its use, readily set up, and comparatively inexpensive tomanufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists ofthe novel construction, combination, and arrangement of partshereinafter more specifically described, and illustratedin theaccompanying drawings, Which form a part of this specification, andwherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention; but it is tobe understood that changes, variations, and modifications can beresorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote correspondingparts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a sectional sideelevation of a trolley-standin accordance with this invention, thetrolley- Wheel being shown in engagement with the conductor. Fig. 2 is alike view showing in full lines the trolley-pole dropped and in dottedlines the trolley-pole elevated. Fig. 3 is a detail of thebase of thestand, also showing the shiftable catch device for holding thetrolley-retaining spring in its set position. Fig. 4 is a detail of theshiftable mechanism for operating the holding-arm for thetrolleyretaining spring, said mechanism also forming the means fordistending the trolley-retaining spring. Fig. 5 is a detail of thetrolley-retaining-spring holding-arm, also showing the spring attachedto one end of said arm..

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, 1 denotes aconductor; 2, the trolley-wheel; 3, the trolley-pole, and 4, the harpcarried by the pole and in which the wheel 2 is journaled. The foregoingelements are of known construction.

A trolley-stand in accordance with this invention comprises a base 5,swivelly connected by any suitable means, as at 6, in position. Thatportion of the base which projects forwardly of the connection 6 isprovided with a pair of upwardly-extending sup ortingarms 7, each havingan angularlyisposed upper end 8, to which is secured atransversely-extending bearing 8, having a function to be hereinafterreferred to. That portion of the base at the rear of the connection 6extends upwardly, as at 9, in a curvilinear manner, then in a verticaldirection, as at 10. Said vertically-extending portion 10 terminates inan elongated flat portion 11, which extends rearwardly at right an leswith respect to said vertically exten ing portion 10. The said portion11 of the base 5 is slotted, as at 12. Said slot 12 is somewhatelongated and extends in the direction of the length of said portion 11,and the function of said slot 12 will be hereinafter referred to.

The stand is provided with a mechanism for distending thetrolley-retaining spring, to be hereinafter referred to, and forshifting the trolley-retaining spring holding-arm to a osition so thatthe said arm will be engaged by a catch device and retain the holdin-arm in its shifted position. The said catch device and holding-arm willbe hereinafter referred to. The said mechanism consists of a shaft 13,journaled in the bearing 8 and carrying a lever-arm 14, said arm 14:being secured to ICC [ link l6.

: ing members 19 20.

the said slot 17 extends a holdfast device 18 for slidablyoonnecting'the slotted end of the link 16 to the forward end of a pairof carry The said members at their forward end are bent inwardly towardeach other, as at 21, and then forwardly, as at 22, and between theportions 22 of the carrying members the slotted end of the link 16 1sinterposed. The carrying members are positioned on each side of theportion 11 of the base, and each has projecting upwardly therefrom,approximately centrally thereof, an inverted-U-shaped bar 23, thedepending portions of the said bars 23 being secured to the carryingmembers, and the said bars 23, in connection with the top edge of thecarrying members, form elongated slots 24, and said bars 23 act as ameans for shifting the holding- 0 arm, to be hereinafter referred to, inone direction when the carrying members are shifted.

The trolley-retaining spring is indicated by the reference character 25.The same is 3 5 connected at one end, as at 26, to the upper end of thearm 14 and has its other end connected, as at 27, to the holding-arm 28.The

' holding-arm 28 is formed of a flat strip of suitable material and issupported upon the 0 upper face of the portion 11 of the base providedwith an opening 29, in which operates the catch device, to behereinafter referred to, and further provided with a pair of laterallyeictending lugs 30, which extend through the slot's 24 and are adaptedto be engaged by the bars 23, so that when the carrying members areshifted the bars 23 will engage the lugs 30 and shift the holding-arm 28to a position so that the same can be engaged by the catch device in amanner as hereinafter referred to.

The holding-arm 28 is retained upon the portion 11 of the base 5 throughthe medium of a pair of guides 31, suitably secured to the -5 5 sides ofsaid portion 11 of the base 5. When the holding-arm 28 is shifted in onedirection, the opening 29 therein is adapted to be positioned over theslot 12 in the portion 11 of the base 5, for a purpose to be hereinafterbe referred to.

The catch device for securing the holdingar n 28 in its shiftedposition, so as to retain the sprin 28 distended, consists of an elongmsiea spring. 32, secured at its forward end to the rear face of thehorizontally-extending portion of the base 5 and bent in an inclinedmanner, so as to extend upwardly into the slot 12 in the portion 11 ofthe base 5. The free end of the spring 32 is bent downwardly, as at 33,and terminates in a transversely-extending V-shaped member 34. By suchconstruction the free end of the spring 32 is of inverted-T shape. Themanner in which the catch device operates will be hereinafter referredto.

A releasing means is provided for the catch device, and said meansconsists of a pair of wedge-shaped members 35, arranged to depend fromthe lower face of the portion 11 at each side of the slot 12, and thesaid. wedge-shaped members 35 are connected together at their rear end,as at 36, and the said connecting portion is secured to atransversely-extending bar 37, fixed to the rear end of the carryingmembers 19 20'. The wedge-shaped members 35 are carried by a plate 38,attached to the carrying members 19 20. To limit the upward movement ofthe V-shaped member 34, so that the wedgeshaped members 35 can passbetween the lower face of the portion 11 and the top edge of the member34 for a purpose to be hereinafter referred to, a pair of stops 39 areprovided, which extend in the direction of the length of the portion 11of the base 5. The stops 39, as shown, are a continuation of the guides31.

The manner in which the trolley-stand is caused to automatically drop orfall when the same is accidentally or otherwise removed from theconductor, so as to prevent the pounding of the conductor by the trolleywheel or harp of the trolley-pole, is as follows: It will be assumedthat the position of the trolley-pole is that as shown in full lines inFig. 2. The trolley cord or cable is grasped by the operator and thetrolley-pole lowered. Such action will rock the shaft 13, so as to causethe upper end of the lever 14 to move forwardly and the lower end ofsaid lever 14 to move rearwardly. The moving forwardly of the upper endof the lever 14 will distend the spring 25, owing to the fact that theholding-arm 28 is at the same time being moved rearwardly. Owing to therearward moving of the lower end of the arm 14 the link 16 will beshifted rearwardly, causing thereby the moving rearwardly of the members19 and 20. During the movement ofthe members 19 and 20 the bars 23 willengage the In s 29 and carry the holdingarm 28 therewit The movement ofthe arm 28 will tend to distend the spring 25. As the arm 28 movesrearwardly the opening 29 therein will be positioned over the slot 12 toenable the free end of the spring 32 to pro ject up through the slot 12and into the opening 29 and engage the rear wall of the open.- ing 29.The free end of the spring 32 will then retain the holding-arm in itsshifted 5:

IIO

sition and also retain the spring 25 in a distended condition. Thetrolley-wheel is then moved into engagement with the conductor 1, theconductor then limiting the upward movement of the trolley, as it willbe evident that the action of the spring 25 will tend to elevate thetrolley. Now it will be supposed that the trolley has been removedaccidentally or otherwise from the conductor. The action of the sprin 25when the trolley is ofi the conductor wil tend to draw the upper end ofthe arm 14 rearwardly and the lower end of the arm 14 forwardly. On theforward movement of the arm 14 the carrying members 19 20 will be movingin the same direction, consequently carrying the wedgeshaped members 35therewith, and the said wedge-shaped members will pass between theVshaped member 34 and the lower face of the portion 11, and owing to themanner in which the members 35 are constructed the said members 35 willengage the top edge of the member 34 and lower said member, carrying thefree end of the spring 32 out of engagement with the rear wall of theopening 29 and permit of the spring 25 relaxing and carrying the arm 28to its inoperative position. As the tension of the s ring 25 has nowbeen relaxed the trolley wi l automatically fall and be retained in suchposition until the sprin 25 is set in a manner as hereinafter set orth.Therefore it is evident that a means is set up which when the trolley isaccidentally or otherwise moved out of engagement with the conductor thetrolley will automatically fall or drop, so as to arrest the pounding ofthe conductor by the trolley, and thereby prevent the trolley orconductor becoming injured.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A trolley-stand comprising a base, a slidable holding-arm carriedthereby,.a shiftable mechanism operated by the trolley, a trolleyconnected to said mechanism, a trolley-retaining spring attached to saidmechanism and said arm, a catch device carried by said base, adapted toextend up in said arm and comprising a depending inverted-T shaped freeend, and a pair of wedged-shaped members carried and shifted by saidmech anism and adapted to engage the free end of said catch device formoving the catch device from its engagement with said arm.

2. A trolley-stand comprising a base, a slidable holding-arm carried bythebase and provided with a pair of lugs, shiftable mech anism operatedby the trolley and adapted to engage said lugs for shifting said arm, atrolley-retaining spring connected to said mechanism and to said arm, acatch device carried by the base, adapted to extend through the base andengage said arm for retaining it in operative position, and comprisingan inverted-T shaped free end, and a pair of wedged-shaped memberscarried and operated by said shiftable mechanism and adapted to'engagethe free end of the catch device for moving said catch device out ofengagement with said arm.

3. A trolley-stand comprising a base, a slidable holding-arm carriedthereby, a air of shiftable carrying members adapted w en operated toshift the arm, a shiftable leverarm, a trolley-retaining springconnected to said slidable arm and to said lever-arm, a link attached atone end of said shiftable leverarm and having a lost-motion connectionbetween it and the forward end of said carrying members, a catch devicefor retaining said arm in operative position, and means operated by thecarrying members for releasing said catch device.

4. A trolley-stand comprising a base, a slidable holding-arm carriedthereby, a shiftable means for said arm, a trolley connected to saidmechanism, a trolley-retaining spring attached to said mechanism and tosaid arm, a spring carried by the base and adapted to engage theholding-arm for retaining it in normal position, said spring having adepending portion substantially T-shaped in contour, a pair ofwedge-shaped members operated by the shifting mechanism and adapted toengage said depending T-shaped portion of the spring for moving thespring out of the path of the said arm.

5. A trolley-stand comprising a base, a slidable holding-arm carriedthereby and rovided with a pair of laterally-extending Pugs projectingfrom the base, a shiftable mechanism provided with inverted U- shapedbars arranged in the path of said lugs, said bars when said mechanism isoperated adapted to engage the lugs for shifting the arm, atrolley-retaining spring attached to said mechanism and to said arm, aspring carried by the base and projecting in the path of said arm forretaining it in its normal position, said spring provided with adepending inverted-T-shaped portion, and a pair of wedge-shaped membersoperated by said mechanism and adapted to engage the saidinverted-T-shaped portion for moving the spring out of the path of thearm.

6. A trolley-stand provided with means for automatically dropping thetrolley when the same is removed from the conductor, said meanscomprising a retaining element for the trolley, a shiftable holdingelement for said retaining element, a shiftable carrying element forsaid holding element, a securing element adapted to extend in the pathof the holding element for retaining it in its shifted osition, and areleasing element depending om the carrying element and adapted toengage the securing element for moving it out of the path of the holdingelement when the carrying element is moved in one direction and torelease said holding element when the carrying element is moved in theopposite direction.

7. A trolley-standprovided with means for automatically dropping thetrolley when the trolley is removed from a conductor, said meanscomprising the combination with the trolley and a base, of a lever-armconnected with the lower end of the trolley and pivot ally mounted uponthe base, a spring-retaining element for the trolley, connected at oneend to one end of said lever-arm, a shiftable holding element for saidspring-retaining element, said holding element mounted upon the base andconnected to the other end of said spring-retaining element, a shiftableelement mounted upon the base and connected to the other end of saidlever-arm, said shiftable element adapted to engage said holding elementfor shifting it, a securing element carried by the base and adapted toextend in the path of said holding element for retaining it in itsadjusted position, and a releasing element depending from said shiftableelement and adapted during the movement of said shiftable element in onedirection, to engage said securing element for moving it out of the pathof said holding element and when the shiftable element is moved in theopposite direction to release said securing element.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HARRY E. EASTMAN. Witnesses:

SAMUEL W. HOLDOROFT, JOHN MINOR SALE.

